What is the workshop about?

The workshop's main objective is to build the capacity of national policy makers to analyse policy choices at the crossroads of trade, intellectual property and public health. It will review multilateral trade agreements as part of the wider action to address needs specific to public health, and will place them in the context of the broader factors that impact on innovation and access to medical technologies.

The themes of this year’s programme include: public health determinants; the intellectual property system, including special compulsory licences for export; public procurement policies and practices; competition policy and rules; market access determinants; health services; health-related provisions in regional trade agreements; regulatory issues, including approval, quality, control and effectiveness of medicines and the protection of clinical trial data; as well as health-related measures in the framework of the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee and the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Committee. The programme is complemented by breakout sessions on topical issues, such as anti-microbial resistance and non-communicable diseases. Exercises and case studies will set these issues in a practical context.

Who should apply?

The workshop is tailored for senior government officials with direct responsibility for matters related to the interaction between trade, intellectual property and public health and who are expected to continue working or being assigned further responsibilities in this field.

Candidates should already have established expertise and experience in their field of work, a good level of knowledge of the WTO agreements and public health policy and all-round proficiency in English, the working language of the workshop. They may come from authorities responsible for trade, intellectual property, public health, foreign affairs or any other relevant authority in the areas of interface between trade agreements and public health.

How to apply?

WTO members and observers eligible to benefit from WTO training activities are invited to nominate capital-based officials by 8 June 2018. Detailed information regarding the application procedures is available here.

The WTO Secretariat can fund a maximum of 30 participants. Provision will also be made for up to five self-funded participants.